Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
On average the distance between the asteroids is about 965,600 km (600,000 miles), [68] [69] although this varies among asteroid families and smaller undetected asteroids might be even closer. The total mass of the asteroid belt is estimated to be 2.39 × 10 21 kg, which is 3% of the mass of the Moon. [ 2 ]
The asteroid and comet belts orbit the Sun from the inner rocky planets into outer parts of the Solar System, interstellar space. [ 16 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ] An astronomical unit , or AU, is the distance from Earth to the Sun, which is approximately 150 billion meters (93 million miles). [ 19 ]
This list includes few examples since there are about 589 asteroids in the asteroid belt with a measured radius between 20 and 49 km. [177] Many thousands of objects of this size range have yet to be discovered in the trans-Neptunian region.
Most highly inclined known main-belt asteroid from 1998/10/19-2007/11/01 MPC (467372) 2004 LG: 70.725° June 9, 2004 A Mercury-through Mars-crosser and near-Earth object. MPC: 2007 VR 6: 68.659° November 1, 2007 Most highly inclined known main-belt asteroid from November 1, 2007, to September 26, 2008 MPC: 2008 SB 85: 74.247° September 26, 2008
"While more than 70,000 meteorites are known, only 6% had been clearly identified by their composition as coming from the moon, Mars, or Vesta, one of the largest asteroids in the main asteroid belt.
Over 200 asteroids are known to be larger than 100 km, [45] and a survey in the infrared wavelengths has shown that the asteroid belt has between 700,000 and 1.7 million asteroids with a diameter of 1 km or more. [46] The absolute magnitudes of most of the known asteroids are between 11 and 19, with the median at about 16. [47]
Called a "mini-moon" of sorts by some, it temporarily entered Earth's orbit on Sept. 29 from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which follows a similar orbital path around the sun as the Earth.
The Kuiper belt is a great ring of debris similar to the asteroid belt, but consisting mainly of objects composed primarily of ice. [195] It extends between 30 and 50 AU from the Sun. It is composed mainly of small Solar System bodies, although the largest few are probably large enough to be dwarf planets. [ 196 ]